Roosdaal (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Kattem, Roosdaal, a 2.18-meter stone cross marks the spot where Johannes François Carlier died in 1783. Kris Lemans and Team Kattoem uncovered it, sparking interest in its history.
People are trying to learn more about the cross that was found at the intersection of Hazeveldweg and Profetenstraat in Kattem, Roosdaal, a municipality in Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant. They used computers to figure out what a cross looked like a long time ago. But they still have questions. They want to know if the cross was moved from where it was first built.
They’re asking people for help. They hope someone has old pictures or documents that can tell them more about the cross. They said that even a little bit of information can be helpful. The people of Kattem want to know the whole story about the cross. They think it’s important to keep the history of their village alive.
How did Kattem’s 2.18m cross remain hidden for centuries?
The cross is 2.18 meters tall, Kris, a resident, was surprised. He said the cross is so big it must have been a really impressive sight a long time ago. He mentioned that it couldn’t fit in the village chapel. They had to find a new place for it.
Now the cross is in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. The people of Kattem want the cross to stay in the church. They hope the church council will let it stay there forever, as a reminder of the village’s history.
It must have been a beautiful monument,
says Kris.
Because the cross suddenly turned out to be much larger than expected at 2.18 meters, we could no longer get it into the chapel. That is why it was given a place in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Kattem, where hopefully the church council will allow it to remain.
According to the officials, The cross marks the spot where a man named Johannes François Carlier died in 1783. Carlier was hauling firewood in a cart pulled by a horse. The horse slipped on the bumpy road and the cart tipped over. The firewood crushed Carlier and he died right away.
The people of Kattem built a cross where Carlier died. It’s been there for over 200 years. They mentioned that the cross is a reminder of the accident. Villagers have always known about the cross and what it means. Recently, people found old papers about the accident. This has made people more interested in the cross. They want to learn more about Kattem’s history.
The people of Kattem wanted to move it to the chapel. They tried to dig it up but it was very deep in the ground. They couldn’t dig it up with shovels and pickaxes. They had to call a gardener with an excavator. It took a few hours, but they got the cross out of the ground.
